"I'm surprised you're still in town. I gave you your freedom, you could have gone anywhere." Klaus says to someone as I stare at my book, not bothering to look up.

"I live here, Klaus." The voice of Stefan replies. Currently, I am lounging around in one of the new chairs in Klaus's now complete mansion. Yes, before you ask, he has forced me to live here with him, not that I'm complaining.

"Well, if we're playing this game, then...I was here first." Klaus says as I turn to the next page.

"You know, I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere, kind of like fleas. I want them gone." Stefan says, sharing his little wishlist.

"Yeah, well I kind of like having them around. You know, I'm hurt. I hoped that when I freed you, we'd pick up where we left off. But here you are, guzzling vervain like the rest of them, I'm sure. So much for friendship"Klaus sighs, pretending to be hurt.

" Friends don't strip friends of their free will," Stefan says, his voice monotone.

"Okay, granted, yeah, that was a little extreme, but I get a little moody. Just ask my siblings. Speaking of whom, isn't it time you handed them over?"Klaus says, sounding a little too chill.

"Klaus, get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls or I will remove them myself," Stefan says, his voice deadly calm, suddenly barking out his threats.

"Hmm. You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'm gonna be forced to retaliate. Kill people. And it will get messy again" Klaus says, not feeling threatened at all.

"Do whatever you want, I don't really care. Or you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much, that I'll drop Elijah in the Arctic." Stefan says as I start to growl, I really do like Elijah.

"Well, maybe I'll be willing to lose one brother if it meant killing yours,"Klaus replies, definitely not meaning the first bit.

"Try me, let's find out."

A hybrid walks in, Stefan quickly pries her head off, not as elegantly as Elijah once did.

_________________________________________________________________

Klaus shares his plan with me about biting and healing Caroline and promises that he will heal her as I rest my head on his shoulder, reading with his arms surrounding my waste.

" What do you want me to do with her head?" A hybrid asks Klaus, pointing to the hybrid's head that Stefan had previously removed.

"Just get rid of it. Burn it. I honestly don't care, Daniel." Klaus says, sighing.

"You called? I'm here. What happened?" Tyler asks, calming down when he sees how casual myself and Klaus appear.

"What happened is Stefan had two paths in front of him and he chose the one that made me angry. I need you to help me do something about that."

"Can't you just leave me out of it?" Ty asks, already knowing the answer before it is actually said to him.

"Right, your, uh, your girlfriend. Um, about her...I need you to bite her." Klaus says, awkwardly. I giggle at his cuteness and he nips my ear in response.

"What?" Tyler asks shocked.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Klaus says, sounding slightly snappy but overall calm.

"A hybrid bite will kill a vampire." He points out the obvious.

" Yeah. Yeah, I know exactly what it will do. Uh, Stefan pushed me too far, so I'm pushing back." Klaus shrugs, nipping my ear again, making a habit out of it.

"I'm not biting Caroline," Tyler states firmly.

"Tyler, I've been supernaturally blessed with the good fortune of a sire bond to you. So, one could consider this me putting your undying loyalty to the test." Klaus states.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not hurting Caroline." Tyler says, trying to convince himself.

"All right. All right. I'm disappointed, but you know, it's your choice, free will and all that. I'll find another way to strike at Stefan. You can go now."Klaus sighs, smirking because he already knows what will happen.

____________________________________________________________________________

I explore the mansion while I wait for Klaus to come back from his intimidating of the Salvatore brothers. In the zone, I brush my fingers lightly across new walls as I walk up a set of steps, opening the first door I see, all the while humming to myself.

I push it lightly, poking my head around the door as if I'm some sort of agent, my mouth falls open in shock at what I see. Littering the walls are beautiful paintings of scenes and people that definitely put my stick me to shame. I step inside, shutting the door to behind me.

Amazed, I stare at the walls before going over to the table in the centre of the room. I peer down at it, feeling a blush light up my cheeks at what I see. Drowning the table are paint pots, paint brushes and pictures of myself. All of them either hand drawn or painted... Each and every one of the paintings in the room looks good enough to find themselves upon display in an art gallery.

I smile, exiting the room and carefully shutting the door to behind me.

_____________________________________________________________